Fashion Bloggers Love The 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Bags

3.1 Phillip Lim is known mostly for his iconic and famous Pashli bags which you have probably seen on the arms of fashion bloggers and celebrities galore. You may recognise them as the box shaped bag with side zips and floppy handles that come in various sizes from totes to a mini cross-body.

The ever versatile Pashli bag has been around for many, many seasons and each time Phillip releases them in various shades, ranging from metallic, prints, patent leather, matte leather, crackled leather, pony hair and more in an array of rainbow shades from burgundy, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink to silver, gold, copper, zebra, leopard and more! There really has been a Pashli for absolutely everyone and I have to say that two of my personal favourites are the metallic blue above and the burgundy just below. These two are such statement bags in my opinion and would be so versatile!

Working in the fashion industry means that I get to see what’s classic and here to stay as well as what’s trending and will be gone before the seasons over. I can guarantee one thing for sure after seeing them on many a fashion blog and magazines, that a 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli is a classic bag and it will be one that you wear all year round. It’s iconic, it makes a statement and it’s perfect for your needs. I love the cross-body Mini Pashli myself as it’s small to carry, but so many bloggers love the totes as you can see below. Jump on board with a timeless trend now and pick your perfect Pashli! You can shop over 36 different 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli bagsonline at Shopbop.

You may be taking a cute, little clutch out on the town tonight, but come tomorrow, you’re going to want a bag with function and the latest from 3.1 Phillip Lim offers all the ease and space you need on top of a look that you would normally never associate with utility. Tina raved about the shoulder bag version of the Soleil, and this shape deserves just as much attention. It’s a little more unusual, as is the take on classically chic black and white. In gleaming, aggressively in-your-face stripes, the color combo is given an almost dangerous feel. The perfected size keeps the look under control, though, whether carried as a top handle or casually over the shoulder. While the Soleil is more than capable of speaking on its own, I say go all out with bright, colorful prints. Spring is here, and the Soleil is ready to shine!

Once uncommon and now nearly ubiquitous, the well-designed bucket bag is really on a roll these days. Here is yet another great bucket, among the many greats (including our very own Andie!). It seems like the style was almost made with a designer like Phillip Lim in mind. His streetwise sensibility and casual yet refined interpretation of staples is just what an inherently informal bag like the bucket ordered.

Full grain, powdery, ivory leather with black trim makes for a neutral pairing that stirs, as the contrasting gusset panel and shoulder strap are just the punches needed to make a real statement. But it’s the handle’s hardware that elevates this to another level. The gunmetal D-clip accent is modern, striking, and as cool as can be. The inclusion of a detachable inner zip pouch speaks of function all the way through, making for a bag that’s a must-buy. 3.1 Phillip Lim bucket bag

Pair with: The oversized platform just might be the shoe of the spring season, and the burgundy wine shade of Miu Miu’s suede sandals looks divine with the versatile colors of this bag.

Phillip Lim has been trapped in his bedroom for almost a year, due to a lengthy apartment renovation. But the really creative aren’t ever really trapped anywhere, and Phillip is one of those boundless, broad-thinking few. Instead of seeing it as a major inconvenience (as most of us would), he embraced his space and it came to be the basis for his Spring ’15 collection. As he told me in our post-show interview, “This one was an intimate collection inspired by bedroom interiors.”

He went on to elaborate on the authentic interpretation of his muse: “The collection is literally inspired by mattresses, sheets – literally bedroom furniture. This setting where you’re the most protected but at the same time, exposed.” The bedroom is the most intimate and private of spaces. I read once that children should never be given a time-out in their bedrooms because that is their safe place. Phillip agrees, and he also sees a dichotomy because it is also where we, as adults, are “exposed,” romantically. These thoughts translated to a beautiful collection, full of pieces that are at once tender and powerful.

With bedhead in full effect and cushy, high-heeled mule sandals on their feet, the models sported asymmetrical, embroidered tops and vests, with deceptively intricate details like rolled lapels, raw edges, and touches of suede, along with body-contouring shorts and drawstring utility trousers. Obi belts add emphasis and punctuation to a number of looks, and loosely knotted, they connote casual ease, especially on bare stomachs. Elements of sheer paneling, inspired by light and shadows coming through gauzy curtains, recur throughout the collection, and the sly cutouts (sometimes you catch a glimpse of skin, sometimes you don’t) make for a modern play on lingerie dressing. It’s only natural that some skin will make an appearance when wrapped in your intimate apparel.

Perhaps most stirring are the bags, with their basket-weave detailing and rattan references. The wicker bucket bag, a riff on vintage woven chairs, is genius, and so is the new triangular Quill bag. With its purposeful crease, it brings to mind that pillow you love, the one that’s indented from your sleepy head when you rise each morning. But it’s evening light, that moment of shadow play that comes with dusk (also known as the “magic hour”) that Phillip finds most invigorating. One can only assume he has a great, westward-facing bedroom window, and we can hope he continues to take inspiration from unexpected places. This collection truly shows Phillip’s breadth and talent beyond streetwear, pushing him towards the realm of nuanced artist.

This is what happens when one is bored at the office desk and starts playing around with stationery. Yes, I’m referring to 3.1 Phillip Lim’s new F/W15 collection which goes by the name of Alix. Which honestly has nothing to do with (or at least I don’t think so) the giant paperclips and staples that are the main decorative elements as far as these bags are concerned. From paperclips forming the handles of some bags to being used as a clasp detail on others, along with staples being used as detailing on the edges, the collection isn’t hideous at all, with the decorative bits adding on some much-needed character.

From the Alix Circle Clutch (the one that looks like a bra cup topped with a giant paperclip) to the Alix Circle Crossbody (shown bottom left) and the Alix Flap Shoulder, which is in my opinion the most classic of the lot, they are all now available in Singapore at 3.1 Phillip Lim’s stores in Marina Bay Sands and Hilton Shopping Gallery. Priced at SGD630, SGD960 and SGD1630 respectively, I’m just lamenting that my favourite of the lot (the Alix Double Pouch Portfolio, shown top right) won’t be available here.

Fashion Week is fun and all, but it’s a different kind of fun to check out collections once they hit their first pre-orders at Moda Operandi, usually mere days or weeks after first debuting on the runway. It allows us to find out design names and prices of our favorite bags, like these from 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2014, a lot sooner than we normally would, plus it gives consumers a peek at the non-runway accessories that we can expect from the brands once full collections hit stores.

Lim’s accessory presale is the first to really give us pause this season. Not only is the brand new 3.1 Phillip Lim Wednesday Bag included in several different iterations, including the standout cracked leather version from the runway, but so are Ryder bags in new colors. The fan-favorite Pashli gets both a super-trendy holographic finish (for the mini version) and a super-trendy backpack shape, both of which sort of feel like Lim throwing a bone to the accessories fads of the moment. Check out the accessories from the sale below (it also includes shoes) or shop the full selection via Moda Operandi.